Enchanting Odyssey Through Ancient Greece

After breakfast we leave Athens for the Peloponnese Peninsula, pausing at the Corinth Canal – the narrow waterway linking the Aegean and Ionian seas, famed for its sheer rock walls. From the small port of Galatas, we take a short ferry ride of about 15 minutes to the island of Poros – a lively spot with hillside houses rising to the Clock Tower. You have free time to wander and find lunch.We return to the mainland and continue through rolling hills to the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus – admission included – where we have time to explore this remarkably preserved venue, built around 2,400 years ago and seating up to 14,000. We then travel on to Nafplio, a charming coastal city crowned by its citadel and Venetian fortress. You have free time to stroll the old streets before dinner, which is included.
Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

Leaving Nafplio, we travel across the mountains of the Peloponnese to Tripoli, capital of Arcadia – you’ll have free time around Areos Square, with its cafés and restaurants. We then continue to Olympia to visit the Archaeological Site – tickets and a guided tour are included. This is where the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, with highlights such as the Temple of Zeus, the Stadium, the Gymnasium and the Arena. We finish the day in Patras, Greece’s third largest city – a busy port overlooked by a medieval fortress and home to the country’s largest cathedral, an important place of pilgrimage, alongside the nearby old church of St Andrew. Dinner is included.

After breakfast, we cross the Rio–Antirrio Bridge – a spectacular cable–stayed span linking the Peloponnese with the Greek mainland – and stop in Nafpaktos on the Gulf of Corinth. Its Venetian fortress overlooks the town, historically known as Lepanto, where Christian and Turkish fleets clashed in battle and Cervantes lost his arm. You’ll have free time to wander the picturesque harbour and explore the old town.We continue along the gulf to Mycenae – admission included – a colossal citadel dating back to the 18th century BC and considered the cradle of European civilisation. You’ll have free time for lunch and to explore the site.Next, we visit the imposing fortress of Acrocorinth – tickets included – where the remains of an ancient temple of Aphrodite stand at the highest point. We then make a brief stop at the Corinth Canal before arriving in Athens in the evening.Our journey concludes here, leaving you with lasting memories. Please check your flight time in case you might need an additional night.